This is an older post but I wanted to bring it up again for those of you that haven’t seen it….

Today’s topic is going to be about Etiquette for selling your stockpile at a Garage sale…is it right, is it wrong?

I have actually received a lot of emails asking me about this topic. If it’s okay to do or right to do…..

This is a hard topic because I have mixed feelings about it. Parts of my disagree with it and parts of me agree with it.

A big part of me that disagrees is if people are clearing shelves every week just to turn around and sell the items.

Now, part of me agrees with it if you do it in moderation. Sell off your extra items from your stockpile, don’t clear shelves and be respectful of others that want to get a great deal as well. I know some people cannot find jobs right now so they have started couponing as their “job”.

Have you ever been to Costco (before using coupons of course…j/k I still do like Costco for certain things)…..anyway, have you ever been to Costco and watched someone in line in front of you check out with 3 huge rolling cart thingies filled with goods?! Well, more than likely they are purchasing these items to resell (too bad they weren’t using coupons huh?!)….It’s the same concept, if you think about it.

Just please, if you are selling your stockpile items at garage sales please be respectful of others trying to get a good deal too. If you see someone selling their stockpile at a garage sale, just remember….they may be doing this as a way to help support their family and may not have another option at the moment. Please don’t be too quick to judge.

Also, more than likely the people purchasing items FROM garage sales are still going to be getting items for cheaper than what the stores sell them for (unless using coupons of course).

What do YOU think about selling stockpiled items at garage sales, and what etiquette tips do YOU have?!

With the new Extreme Couponing show that’s on tonight on TLC (10/5), I thought it would be a good time to bring back some posts I’ve done from the past for new coupon users!! I also want to remind you all to remember that this show is indeed “EXTREME” and couponing is so much better on a more sane level and easier too! Just start out slow, get the deals you LIKE and remember….you are trying to SAVE money, not spend it!

I want to hear your opinions of the show, extreme couponing, stockpiles, etc! I will tell you mine…

So, I believe in the “Only get what you need/use, or what you can donate” theory. I do not believe in clearing the shelves or taking away from others. In fact, I have a personal rule of mine that I go by, I never clear the shelves…..I always make sure I leave enough for others, even if I have a TON of coupons for the item. If I show up to a store and there are only 2 items left and I have 5 coupons for that item, guess what?! I only grab one and leave the other for another couponer.

I always think to myself, “what if the person that grabs that last item is a newbie coupon user”?? They will get to feel the thrill and rush of getting it for FREE! Rather than finding out that the empty shelf they are starring at is the Crest toothpaste they would have gotten for free if they didn’t have to haul along their 2 kiddos. Ok, I guess it’s just a pet peeve of mine to find empty shelves. 😉

(Definitely don’t want to be couponing and end up like the lady above….or leave anyone feeling that way!)

Something I always recommend is to only get what your family needs (that doesn’t mean you can’t have a stockpile, instead only stockpile 3-6 months worth of items). When I first started using coupons I would run out and grab ANY deal I could…free ear plugs “hey, why not, their free”…..free baby food, “um, my youngest is over 2 but it’s free”…..free prunes, “umm yuck but hey it’s free”….free bausch…huh, what is that, I DON’T CARE, it’s FREE!! Ok, so I admit, that was a bad way to start couponing but you know we all do it. Actually, it was probably a pretty good way because it taught me that I really could do this and save money.

I stopped doing that…I stopped being such an Extreme couponer! I hated getting home and not having anywhere to put my free bausch, prunes, and baby food! I had already filled my pantry with 20 boxes of free cereal and 10 jars of $0.50 pasta sauce!

I learned to only use coupons on the items my family uses!! When I did this, couponing was a lot less stressful. I enjoy using the items now and feel a whole lot more organized.

With the new Extreme Couponing show that’s airing tonight on TLC (9/28), I thought it would be a good time to bring back some posts I’ve done from the past for new coupon users!! I also want to remind you all to remember that this show is indeed “EXTREME” and couponing is so much better on a more sane level and easier too! Just start out slow, get the deals you LIKE and remember….you are trying to SAVE money, not spend it!

If you are new to couponing you can see my videos here to learn how to use and organize coupons.

“Hello, I have been couponing for four months now. So far just using coupons for my regular groceries. I am now interested in starting a stockpile. How much $ should I budget per month to spend on my stockpile? How long should it take to get a decent stockpile going? After my stockpile is established how much will it shave off of my regular grocery shopping? Sorry for all the questions. I want to have realistic expectations before I get started. Thank you.”

What are your answers?!

Here are the questions again and my answers:

How much money should you budget per month to spend on a stockpile? I don’t really set a budget amount because depending on the sales for that week/month I will most likely be lower than any budget (although some months sales are not as good as others) so it really varies. I find that if I set an actual “budget” I end up getting extra items just because I have an extra $30 to spend. Does that make sense?!

How long does it take to get a stockpile going? Really not that long….especially on items like toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo/conditioner etc (at least one of these items is free almost every week).

After established, how much will is take off the regular grocery shopping bill? Would love to know other peoples thoughts on this. It’s good to have a good stockpile because then you only have to buy the “staples” to meals. For example, if you’re making pasta for a meal, you can almost always have a great stockpile on pasta and sauce but I like to make my sauce with fresh garlic, so I will just need to purchase garlic as a staple for that meal….see how that can drastically reduce your grocery bill??

*You can also go here to see my stockpile video (please keep in mind, I have since donated some of the extra items (toothbrushes, lip balm, smaller diapers, etc).

Yippee! I’ve been debating on doing another large giveaway for these organized coupon binders because it takes a lot of time to put them together and ship them out but decided it’s so worth it in the end to help you all out. So, with some help this time, I am plunging in and doing another LARGE binder giveaway and can’t wait!

Here is how it will work:

“Like” the Raining Hot Coupons new Facebook page HERE (and get your friends to like it and if they mention you sent them, you will get an extra entry for each person) between now and 2/28/11, and I will be giving up to 25 organized coupon binders filled with coupons and more! See the diagram below:

10,000 Fans = 10 Coupon Binders

11,000 Fans = 15 coupon binders

12,000 Fans = 20 coupon binders

13,000 Fans = 25 coupon binders!!!

*PLEASE NOTE- The entry form will be posted on March 1st (less than 2 weeks away). That is where your friends will be able to mention that you sent them.

Also, here is an email I received from Hillary G who previously won a coupon binder from me!

“Hi there Sarah, I just wanted to send you a very friendly message letting you know I got my binder and I am SO HAPPY and just love it! I never had one before and this makes it so much easier when I go to the store! I really am so grateful that you took the time out and made my binder so detailed. It’s so nice with the coupons in it so I could kind of get a feel of how to organize my coupons in the future and I have already used a few of them. Thank you again and God bless you for helping us so much. I am forever a fan.”

SIDE NOTE- If anyone knows where I can get binders wholesale (would love to get the nice zip-up binders) please let me know. If I can find these at a good wholesale discount, I would be able to give away a lot more in the future…

While searching for a picture of a coupon binder (since I haven’t taken one of mine) I came across the binder pictured above! You can purchase it here for $26.99. That seems like a pretty good price but in my opinion you can still make it yourself for cheaper. I don’t think the one pictured above comes with the coupon holders (baseball protector sheets is what I use). You will end up paying around $10 – $15 for a zip up binder so if you want to fork out another $10 you can get the one pictured above which was made for coupons. It’s up to you… BUT WAIT! Before you buy that one (if you were thinking about it) check out the comment Lisa just left:

“I have that exact binder in the picture, but I got it on clearance at Wal-Mart RECENTLY for like $10 – $15! So you might want to check there if your Wal-Mart is anything like mine! My husband was actually the one who bought it for me, so I can’t remember the exact price, but it was left over from all the school supply sales.”

That’s not the reason I’m doing this post, just thought I’d add it in. I think it would be great to have you all that already have a binder, leave your tips on making a binder (where you got your binder, protector sheets, how much it cost, tips on organizing, etc)! Please feel free to join the conversation with any questions you may have as well!

I’ll start…..You can see most of this in the video but I bought my binder from Walmart as well as my baseball protector sheets. My tip would be to get a zip-up binder so you don’t lose coupons. I also recommend getting the plastic dividers not the paper ones (I have all plastic now since doing this video). The paper ones tend to rip. Another tip: Don’t have too many categories, it can be overwhelming when you go to insert your coupons. My last tip and favorite of all…..DON’T get behind on your coupon inserts! I suggest clipping them and putting them in your binder the same day you buy your newspaper. If you put it off, you will start compiling a big pile of newspapers and never want to mess with it! Uhhh-hummm…Yes, I know this from experience! 😉